Before I ring Olympic Holidays and go postal, can I have some advice?

[BupcakesandCunting]

We booked our holiday to Greece in March. Outbound flight was at 9.45am, with Monarch Airlines.

Yesterday, DH got a call saying that our flights had changed times as Olympic were no longer dealing with Monarch and they had now switched to the airline Sky Wings, so our flight isn't until 2.30, so we will miss pretty much a whole day (which is crap when you're only there a week...)

Was looking through the paperwork last night to see if they had a disclaimer about change of flight times, and I noticed that the carrier was listed as Sky Wings, not Monarch (these are the original tickets btw) So I reckon they've ballsed our flight up and we were never on the Monarch flight in the first place. I am a bit pee'd off as a major draw for booking this particular holiday was the good flight times. We would have opted for a diffeent one flying from Manchester if I had known the flight was afternoon.

Do I have a leg to stand on if I call them and ask for some money back (not much, just talking reimbursement for in-flight meals/seating pre-payment)

Thanks :)

I love Corfu.

We are off to turkey in august, feels like forever away.

How much are those hours worth bupcakes?

What about evening entertainment? Do they provide kids ents which state are every night? If so you booked expecting it every night - but now due to them you'll miss 1.

Corfu airport is like actual HELL on Earth.

I did areally narky tripadvisor post about a place I stayed in Corfu once.

Nah, we don't book in for kid's clubs and that. I won't lose anything monetarily, just time.

Sigh.

All Greek airports are like hell on earth.

TIME IS MONEY buppy.

Time is money.

bups your time is worth something surely . As an ex-rep I was looking forward to helpng you make a claim through all the loop holes I know. Yours isn't impossible but as you say normally small print states they can change up to 24 hours before flight 12hours in any direction. They then offer a refund as an option knowing full well you won't so if you chose to go your accepting the change.

Have a fab time though. I did a season in Palaros (mainland which leftkas is off). Love Greek Isles.

I was cabin crew with Monarch for ten years and a travel agent for three. Been a SAHM since twins few years ago but I'm sure things haven't changed too much since I left the business - with that in mind, I'm afraid unless the change is in excess of 12 hours, you haven't got a leg to stand on, legally. Even if it is more than 12 hours, the 'compensation' they pay you is shite - we're talking a few quid, £20 maybe. This is pretty standard for all tour ops/airlines from memory. They can also change your airline, seemingly at will. People can go from lovely mid-aft flights to a midnight flight and tour operators have no liability whatsoever. Sorry to be the black cloud! Only other option as others have suggested is to cancel and get a full refund but it means starting all over, with no guarantee it won't happen again. If you ring/write/email they will just piss you off even more with their 'computer says nooooo' attitude.

Corfu = wonderful. Which resort?

Oh they can suck on my baws and look forward to the shit I am sending them through the post Thanks for your help, though :)

We are going to Roda, one of the quieter resorts, I think. Never been before, as I had a misconception of it being a "Brits on the piss" place, which I've been told it isn't. Apart from the griefhole that is Kavos.

May be worth calling a travel agent, seeing if you can get the same original holiday with flights for a cheaper price and if so telling them you want a refund and booking it again. I did this once when I was told that instead of a direct flight I would have four changes because no other bugger wanted to go when I did apparently

I ended up saving £500 after having some quite shirty phone calls with the tour operator.

Athens airport is fab. Fact.

Again, whomoved, there's nothing to say it won't happen all over again though. The brochures are printed up to 18 months before and tour operators don't always secure the flights they thought they would - hence the reason for lots of flight times miraculously changing.

The 'original' holiday thru a travel agent will now show exactly the same flights they've been changed to, whether booked direct, internet or travel agent.

worst buppy thread evah

I went to Roda with my university bf. :)
It is lovely, quiet but enough restaurants etc to keep you well fed

Have a great time

I love Greek airports. In fact I love any airport that isn't Heathrow.

Please don't tell us you spent your birthday trawling through small print Bups

What I love about Greek airports is everyone smoking under the no smoking signs, including all the police and customs people.

I've had the exact same problem!! Flights changed from 9:45 to 2:30 when we paid £28 extra for early flights but Olympic refuse to give us any money back. Try searching sky wings on google and look on trip
Advisor, loads of complaints about the aircraft being dirty, urine on the seats, seats moving, toilets not working, technical faults, having to stop off at other airports mid journey for re fuelling and the staff are rude and also not gauranteed a meal! I'm due to fly in august and very concerned for the safety of the aircraft as they apparently old planes!! We are waiting to take the matter further. Let me know if you have an advice, never had this problem with monarch.

Phone them back and say what Hullygully said @12.34.25

My dh is Greek and this is his standard word when he drives.

I worked for a travel agency and it is true about the 12 hour rule. If your flight has changed but under 12 hours, the airline has no obligation to offer you other flights or compensation. It is c**p and so unfair especially if you are travelling with kids...you could try writing a letter and complain and try get something like meal vouchers, extra legroom or early/late checkout out of them but the flights, they won't change them.
Often they also sell flights without having the actual flight schedules in place, i.e. entice you in with nice morning flights and then change them to later ones when the schedules are finalised. Not nice, I'm very wary of booking things now after I saw how it all runs!